Hours had passed since she ventured up the mountain, but even though the sun was starting to move over the horizon, and her snack-and-water supply was dwindling, Kayla couldn’t pry herself away from the wilderness or the book.
A slight rustling to her right drew her out of her readings about a war with the Blood Breeds ages ago. It was so slight she thought she might have imagined it, but just as she was about to continue reading, it sounded again. This time it was louder and closer. The compound’s property was private and guarded by Lykens, so Kayla wasn’t too worried about one of Emmitt’s men finding her, but she was secluded and far away from the main house. That alone was enough to make her heart start to beat a little faster.
She shoved the book in her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. She may be relatively protected out here, but there were still wild animals that called the property home. Just as she was about to follow the brook down the mountain, she heard a twig snap mere feet from her. She spun around so fast that she lost her balance and started to fall backward. Before she hit the ground, someone’s hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward. She shouldn’t have been surprised to see Callum standing right in front of her, but for some reason, she was.
“That would have been a nasty fall.” He let go of her hand and took a step back. He wore dark military-type clothing, a dark baseball hat, and combat boots. “I was patrolling the grounds.”
He had answered her unspoken question. “Well, lucky for me you were here, or I would have landed on my ass.”
“You wouldn’t have lost your footing if I hadn’t scared you. I’m sorry, by the way.”
He was right about that one, but it was endearing to hear him say it. “Well, I still should have been more careful.” She adjusted her pack and smiled. “I’ll see you around.”
“Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner sometime.”
Kayla was a little taken aback by his offer. “Dinner?”
She loved Adrik immensely, and even though he wanted nothing to do with her, she couldn’t see herself even considering dating another man. True, it had been weeks since he had not so easily broken it off with her, but she still had hope that she would be with him again.
“I know how things ended with your vampire, but I figured you needed a little time out on the town.”
He started shifting, and Kayla wondered if he was nervous.
“Strictly friends, I promise.” He held up his hands in surrender, and she couldn’t help but laugh.
“It would be nice to get out for a while, but…” There was still the fear that one of Emmitt’s crazed associates would find her. “I just don’t know if I’m ready.”
He didn’t need to know that she still woke up in the middle of the night because she worried someone was waiting right outside her bedroom to slit her throat, and he certainly didn’t need to know that she dreamt about Adrik every night.
“No worries, lass. The offer is an open invitation when ye’re ready.” With that, he turned and disappeared into the thick trees.
Kayla stared at the spot he disappeared into and finally breathed out. The idea of going into the city and enjoying herself was tempting, but it wasn’t tempting enough for her to let herself be free, emotionally or physically, just yet.
“Well, did she agree to go with you?” Kaleb pushed himself off the thick trunk he leaned against as he saw Callum stride down the hill.
“No. I’m not sure why ye keep pressing this, man.”
There were many reasons Kaleb pressed it. The first thing was he was sick of seeing Kayla holed up in her room day in and day out. Only recently had she been venturing out into the woods. The second thing was he needed her to get over the leech. Adrik had done his part in keeping away from her, but there were times when he thought he sensed something in the air.
He couldn’t put his finger on it, but it was a subtle aroma of longing and possession. He couldn’t be certain Adrik was the one letting off the potent scent, but he had a sneaking suspicion that the leech was having a hard time staying away from his sister. If he found out the vampire was lurking around the edge of the property, hoping to get a glimpse Kayla, he would be sorry.
“I just think Kayla needs to get out. She keeps herself trapped in her room like some kind of recluse. It isn’t healthy.”
The two of them made their way toward the edge of the property to start making their rounds again. There were six Lykens scheduled to patrol the perimeter at all times. The compound was out in the middle of nowhere, and even with their property spanning acres upon acres, there was still a hefty amount of forest that wasn’t theirs. Anyone who knew about what they really were would no doubt try to breach the perimeter, and so that is where they came in.
“I told her to let me know if she ever wants to do dinner. I didn’t want to push it.”
Kaleb could sense the hesitation in Callum’s voice, and even though he wanted to push his fellow brother to try harder, he knew it wasn’t good for Callum or Kayla. Kaleb’s ultimate goal? Have Kayla mated to a Lyken and living at the compound. That way she would always be protected. Of course, he sure as hell didn’t tell her that.
Caelen watched Kayla as she headed down the mountain and back to the compound. His actions were repetitious, a mistake a skilled Lyken would never do. Of course she had no idea he watched her, no one did. Caelen had been trained to be invisible. That had been his sole purpose, to be there, but be unseen.
He glanced down at the scars on his wrists. They brought back a lot of painful memories, and also a good dose of rage. He curled his hands into tight fists. A lot was about to change, with the Clan, the Blood Breeds, and every other fucking species living in this forsaken world. He welcomed the violence and pain that would soon transpire, because it meant it would temporarily numb his.
Kayla had long since disappeared into the woods, but he could still sense her. If she only knew what was really behind her lineage, she may not have been so easily swayed to be a part of it. He knew what it was like to be in the dark, and he knew what it was like to lose someone you loved, but he had long since gotten rid of emotions that would weigh him down. He was hardened to the core, with no empathy for anyone. He knew people for what they really were, and knew the kind of pain they could inflict.
Everyone was fucked, one way or another.
Chapter 35
Here he was again, creeping in the middle of the night with the hopes that he would get one glimpse of her. He was pathetic, but after weeks of not speaking to her, Adrik was becoming crazy. She was his drug, his addiction that he couldn’t shake. He thought it would be easy to stay away from Kayla, but with each passing day, he found it harder and harder to keep his distance.
After several weeks of staying away, he found himself sneaking onto the edge of the property. He should have known there would be guards stationed around the perimeter, but he hadn’t anticipated how many there would be. He had to be tricky to make sure they didn’t see him, but that hadn’t been as hard as he thought. He was, after all, a Blood Breed and trained in the art of stealth.
When he found a place where he could go undetected, Adrik closed his eyes and let his astral form leave him. He already sensed Kayla, and when he saw her, his heart stopped. She carried a backpack and was exiting the woods. Her hair was windblown, but she was still the most beautiful female he had ever seen. How he wished he could touch her once more, but he knew he couldn’t. He wasn’t any good for her. He had proved he couldn’t protect her. What kind of male was he when he couldn’t even make sure his Chosen was safe?
Although he was in his astral form, Adrik could smell Callum’s scent all over her. The possessive animal inside of him roared out, but he reminded himself that he had brought this upon himself. He watched her until she disappeared into the compound but couldn’t make himself leave. He stood there for several long, agonizing moments, wishing he hadn’t been such a worthless male. If he had been a better mate to her, none of this would have happened.
Before he slipped back into his body, he sensed two males approaching. He had made sure that his body wouldn’t be found, but there was still the chance that if the wind picked up, he would be sensed. He moved his astral form closer to the males speaking when he realized one of them was Kaleb. Kayla’s twin ate up the ground as he paced the length of the wall. Callum stood a few feet away with a flask in hand.
“I just think she needs to get out and find a male of worth.”
That comment was like a knife in Adrik’s chest, but it was all true.
“Ye don’t think ye’re being too hard on the vampire?” Callum ended his sentence with a swig from the flask.
“Would you be saying that if it was your sister that almost died?” Kaleb’s voice was a deadly growl. It would have had a lesser man shrinking back, and although he was completely right, Adrik gave Callum credit for not backing down.
“No, I would be just as pissed as ye are, but unless he kept her locked up, how is he supposed to protect her at all times?”
Kaleb ran a hand through his hair and grunted. “We will talk again once you have found your mate.”
Everything became suddenly still and silent at Kaleb’s words.
“Have ye found yer mate?”
Before Kaleb could answer, the sound of breaking twigs in the distance had both of them on high alert. Normally, Adrik wouldn’t give a shit about the happenings on Lyken territory, but Kayla was currently living there, and therefore, it was now his problem.
Kayla threw her backpack on her bed. Before she could even get her shoes off, the sound of men yelling broke the silence. She raced to the window and pushed the curtain aside. The scene below had her mouth going slack and her heart racing. Big, burly male Lykens formed a line in front of the compound. Even though the sun had already sunk below the mountains, Kayla could still see that they were dressed in military attire. Some even had guns and knives strapped to their thighs and waists. Whatever was going on had sent them all on high alert.
“Kayla.”
Through the thick wood of her bedroom door, she could hear her name being called. Just as she turned around, the door burst open, and the little Lyken female named Joslyn rushed in. Over Joslyn’s shoulder, Kayla could see children and women being rushed down the hall by men.
“What’s going on?”
“The property has been breached. They are sending all the women and children underground.”
“Breached by whom?” Fear spiked within Kayla. This was definitely serious if the whole Lyken community was acting this way.
“I don’t know, but we need to leave, now.” Perspiration dotted Joslyn’s forehead. Her breathing was frantic, and she kept glancing over her shoulder.
Kayla knew the smart thing to do, but she also knew her brother was out there. As if Joslyn knew what she was thinking, she answered her unspoken question.
“Believe me, Kaleb can handle himself out there. He’s one of the best.”
A tense moment passed, and then Kayla jumped into action. She knew how strong and intelligent her brother was, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something terribly wrong was about to happen to everyone and everything around them.
As she raced out of the room and followed Joslyn, Kayla instantly thought of Adrik. If she made it out of here safely, she planned on going to him. Things needed to be worked out, and she wasn’t about to waste another moment feeling depressed for what she didn’t have. She would make him see that they were so right for each other.
They ran down a long stone stairwell that led to a bunker underground. The air became more chilled the farther they descended, even with all the bodies being ushered below. Children clung to their mothers and cried as they asked what was happening. What was going on seemed so surreal, but it also brought back the same intense fear she felt all those weeks ago.
The bunker they were brought into appeared standard military issue. It reminded her of a bomb shelter, although a hundred times bigger. Cots were lined up against each wall for as far as the eye could see, and there were two monstrous steel doors with SUPPLY CLOSET printed on them. Kayla felt like she was in a horrible nightmare.
Two Lyken men were stationed at the entrance, and if the guns they held didn’t scare the shit out of everyone, the cold and dangerous menace their expressions held would do the trick. It didn’t matter how much steel and concrete surrounded them, Kayla could still sense the destruction and death right above their heads.
Chapter 36
Adrik slipped back into his body just as the sound of shouting pierced the night sky. All around him Lykens shouted for backup. The sound of guns going off and bullets piercing flesh rent the air. How had they breached the Lykens’ protective perimeter?
Adrik inhaled deeply and instantly sensed black magic in play. Without another thought, he shot out of where he was and ran toward the wall. The scent of corrupted humans lanced through his senses, and he growled. It was the same dark scent that Emmitt had. These people worked for the man who had almost succeeded in killing his Chosen.
The fact that humans had penetrated the impermeable fortress the Lykens had constructed would have been humorous on any other day, but not when Kayla was mere feet from the danger. He had fucked up once, but he wouldn’t do it again. All differences aside, Adrik would help the man who had wanted him out of his sister’s life so badly.
The stone wall that was meant to protect their people would have been tricky for anyone else, but Adrik found it laughable. He dug his claws into the stone and started to climb. When he reached the top, the scene before him left him speechless. Lykens and humans fought until the bloody death. Any Otherworld creature would have had no problem defeating the lesser species, but these humans were playing with black magic.